1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to field assembled multi-circuit connectors for electrical wires, radio frequency cables, speaker wires, game control wires, phone wires, and other types of circuits, and in particular to a field assembled multi-circuit connector having snap-fit self-sealing components assembled without special tools, which may be changed for varying numbers, configurations, types and sizes of circuitry, using prefabricated circuit interchangeable housing inserts or blank inserts that can be custom made in the field and be snap-fit assembled with standardized coupling mechanism connector segments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is often a need to change the numbers, configurations, or sizes of multicircuit connectors to meet specific needs. Being able to make these changes in the field easily and without special tools is a great advantage to technicians and end users to meet specific and often unique custom connector needs quickly without waiting for the connectors or connector inserts to be manufactured or ordered and shipped to the site.
Connectors and circuits are often placed in hostile environments and it is necessary to seal the connectors against water and other environmental factors. Having a self-sealing field assembled connector would be a great advantage.
Most prior art devices rely on factory manufactured connectors or inserts for changing circuit configurations in the field. They generally require additional means such as epoxy, resins, or other sealants for sealing the circuit terminals, inserts, and other connector egresses.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,248, issued Nov. 28, 1995 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,856 issued Aug. 6, 1996 both to Wood, provide a field repairable electrical connector for underwater applications having a male member injection molded with the pins built in and a female member injection molded with the sockets built in, both of which are installed in the field by soldering the male and female members to the respective wires. They include an intermediary sealing member between the male and female members and a two-piece screw-together connector body to which both the male and female members are also screwed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,849, issued May 27, 1975 to Bailey et al, shows electrical connectors with interchangeable components with different types of molded mating male and female inserts which are held by a releasable latching means into a two-piece housing which includes a strain relief cable clamp which acts as a ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,482, issued Dec. 30, 1986 to Punake et al, claims insertable and removable electrical contact pins retained and sealed against moisture by a one-piece molded rubber insert. The pins have two annular grooves with acutely angled flat surfaces and mating surfaces inside the rubber insert to retain and seal the pins.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,655, issued Mar. 18, 1980 to Herrmann, Jr., describes a field repairable connector assembly in which the terminals, terminal shells, and terminal inserts can be interchanged to provide a variety of connector configurations. Inserted pins and sockets are clipped into place and sealed with rubber sealing boots. The inserts are screwed into place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,174, issued Jul. 19, 1988 to Michaels et al., discloses an environmentally sealed electrical connector having keyed elastomeric inserts frictionally retained in outer shells screwed together with a coupling nut. One of the inserts has a forwardly protruding deformable flange for sealing with the other insert.
None of the prior art inventions provide a field assembled multi-circuit connector with snap-fit self-sealing interchangeable and rearrangeable contact elements in standard interchangeable inserts or field fabricated custom inserts, which will accommodate a variety of sizes, configurations, and types of circuits, with the inserts snap-fit and self sealing in a pair of self-sealing coupling bodies.
The typical sealed contact assembly requires that the individual contacts be preinstalled into the contact insulator to achieve a seal. This type of contact packaging limits the assembly of wire or cable to a time-consuming hand soldering process.